Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 8, 1 August 2000 — Community-based economic development in the Hawaiian community [ARTICLE]

Community-based economic development in the Hawaiian community

By Randy Quinones Editor's note: Former OHA Eeonomie Development Specialist Randy Quinones, who also served as programs manager, will begin his doctoral studies thisfall at Harvard University. Quinones graduatedfrom Kamehameha Schools, Dartmouth College and Yale University. tOMMUNITY-BASED eeonomie development (CBED) has been vital to Hawaiians for more than 1,000 years. Native Hawaiians implemented eeonomie development strategies in Hawai'i well before the arrival of the missionaries, the creation of the Māhele or the first foreign laborer immigration tc these islands. How, then, do we explain the apparent conflict in the 19th and 20th centuries between eeonom ie development and Hawaiian cultural values? Remember Kalama Valley, Puna geothermal and the Waiāhole ditch? Traditionally, eeonomie development was evidenced in the use and employment of resources for the social and spiritual good. The "profits" or benefits from eeonomie development activities accrued to the community in the form of lo'i kalo, 'auwai and loko i'a. If the development meant construction, then the benefits of a road or path went to all travelers. Similarly, a heiau improved the spiritual power or mana of the chiefs and, correspondingly, the commoners. Over the past 200 years, benefits of eeonomie development have shifted away from the community and

accrued to the individual, in the form of monetary enrichment only. Community benefits or harm do not factor into the equation. In traditional times, the resource economist was the "konohiki," whose primary eoneem was in maximizing the community benefits, materially or spirimally. Westem ideas on eeonomie development do not give a high priority to the eommunity component. With the demise of onee dominant industries such as sugar and pineapple, and the decline in the construction, military and tourism industries, many communities throughout Hawai'i have begun to rediscover eommuni-ty-based eeonomie development. Communty-based eeonomie development activities aim to break the rehance on a single, dominant industry and, instead, a diversified ' mix of eeonomie activities occurs. New industries take advantage of existing resources such as vacant lands, a trained labor force and community networks. Commu-nity-based eeonomie development activities in Hawai'i, as elsewhere in the world, seek to educate and train community members in viable eeonomie activities whieh reinforce their own community values and visions for themselves. Job creation and preservation of traditional community and Hawaiian values are the benefits of these activities. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs supports the continued community-based eeonomie development activities of Native Hawaiians through training workshops, institutes and conferences throughout the state. Additionally, OHA provides moderate funding for start-up eommuni-ty-based organizations undertaking eeonomie development activities. On occasion, OHA partners with other

funding agencies to assist communities undertaking large projects such as the Department of Business, Eeonomie Development and Tourism, the Administration for Native Americans, county governments, the Hawai'i Community Foundation, the Lannan Foundation and others. In this way, an ancient Hawaiian tradition eontinues. ■